YUGOSLAVIA: SERBIA STAYS COMMUNIST

Created: 12/11/1990

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Stays Communist

apparent victory by Communist strongman Slobodan Milosevic in the presidential election in Serbia on Sunday puts the Serbs at odds with the non-Communist governments in other republics, dims prospects for negotiations between feuding ethnic groups, and sets the stage fornSerbia's Kosovo Province, which Is predominantly Albanian*

Preliminary returns indicate Milosevic may have captured more thanercent of the vote,unoff. The Communists thus far have wonfeats in the republic Assembly, leaving the bulk to be decidedunofTonecember. Opposition leaders are accusing the Communists of manipulating the results and are calling for nullification of some returns. Election

HawaaaaaaW'ted some voting irregularities,not enough to change the outcome. The Communistswell in Montenegro, wherejheir candidate is on the way tovictory,

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retention of the Serbian presidency almost cenaTnTywill reinforce the determination of Slovenia and Croatia lo leave the federation and sets the stage for possible confrontation between Croatia and Serbia over disputed territory. Unlike defeated anti-Communist nationalist Vuk Draskovic, who has said he is willing to negotiate with Croatia and Slovenia, Milosevic has rejected compromise with the non-Communist governments Fears are certain to rise among Croatians and Slovenes that he may now ally himself with the Serb-dominated federal Army to move against

The boycott of the election by ethnic Albanians in Kosovo further erodes any legitimacy the Milosevic government may have had there but docs little for Albanian hopes for autonomy. As attention is increasingly focused on secession by the northern republics in coming months, Albanians arc likely lo be increasingly tomnlcd to use violence to rcsisi Serbian powerf

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